Winter weather can wreak havoc on the body's largest organ: the skin. With the cold days and decreased humidity the skin starts to lose moisture -- and that can cause problems.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to winterize your skin and avoid drying out

and it starts off with moisturizing, early and often.

When it comes to choosing the right moisturizer, doctors say it boils down to personal preference, and the key is to look for something you're willing to use.

Choosing the right soap is important too.

Despite how good it feels, try to avoid exposing yourself to too much hot water and heat because that will get extra blood flowing to the skin.

On the other hand, you want to make sure you don't expose your skin to the cold weather either.

And finally -- remember -- you can still sunburn in the winter months. So make sure you lather on the sunscreen when you're heading outdoors.

Does drinking lots of water help?

That's common advice but in reality drinking *more* water than you need to stay hydrated likely doesn't make a huge difference to the skin. Likewise, a hydrating facial may feel great because it seals in moisture at the time, but because our skin is constantly evaporating over the longterm that mask won't make much of a difference.

Do "all-natural" ingredients mean that they're better?

That's absolutely right when it comes to many skin care products -- and natural doesn't also mean that they're hypoallergenic. Many of my patients have suffered skin reactions from so-called all natural products. And as a general rule of thumb -- you want to look for products that have the fewest number of ingredients to minimize the chance of having an allergic reaction.

Do you have any favourite moisturizers to recommend?

First, don't make the mistake of relying on the same moisturizer all year-round: you might need more help during the winter months. Good moisturizers retain water in the skin and also attract moisture from the environment.

I like products that have few ingredients because they're least likely to cause an allergic reaction. The ones I recommend to my patients -- and I don't have any financial interest in these products! -- include ones that contain alphahydroxy acids -- like Lachydrin -- which contains lactic acid that helps exfoliate as well as helping the skin retain moisture. Complex 15 and Linacare are also excellent. Eucerin and Glaxal Base are good, inexpensive products that are simple to find on drugstore shelves and also good for babies and children.